On the recordJanuary 1, 1791
A constitution is not the act of a government, but of a people constituting a government; and government without a constitution, is power without a right.
Said by
Thomas Paine
Source
gutenberg.orgThomas Paine: “A constitution is not the act of a government, but of a people constituting a government; and government without a…”
Editor's note · Context
This passage distinguishes a constitution as an act of the people from the government it establishes, asserting that legitimate power derives from a constitution.
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